December 15, 2012

India: Government to provide free tuberculosis drugs

NEW DELHI: In a move to curb multi-drug resistant tuberculosis cases caused mostly because of irregular medication, the government has decided that relevant medicines will be available for free at all chemist shops and corporate hospitals.

The scheme will be rolled out across the country by next March. A patient, confirmed positive for TB by a qualified doctor, simply needs to register with the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP).

The patient will then be issued a unique ID which will have all information on medicines prescribed and the dosage.

"Any hospital or chemist shop will be able to give the medicine to him/her as per the treatment schedule, which will be available online. The government will bear all costs," said Dr Jagdhish Prasad, director general of health services (DGHS).

The government presently spends about Rs 250 crore [US$45.8 million] on providing free medicines to TB patients. The new scheme will cost about Rs 100 crore [US$18.3 million] more.

"We are in talks with manufacturers of the medicines and hospital groups to finalise the modality for reimbursement," Prasad said.

India reports 15 lakh [1.5 million] new cases of TB every year. About one in six deaths among adults aged 15-49 are caused by TB. Nearly 10,000 cases of multi-drug resistant are estimated to occur annually.

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NEW DELHI: In a move to curb multi-drug resistant tuberculosis cases caused mostly because of irregular medication, the government has decided that relevant medicines will be available for free at all chemist shops and corporate hospitals.

The scheme will be rolled out across the country by next March. A patient, confirmed positive for TB by a qualified doctor, simply needs to register with the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP).

The patient will then be issued a unique ID which will have all information on medicines prescribed and the dosage.

"Any hospital or chemist shop will be able to give the medicine to him/her as per the treatment schedule, which will be available online. The government will bear all costs," said Dr Jagdhish Prasad, director general of health services (DGHS).

The government presently spends about Rs 250 crore [US$45.8 million] on providing free medicines to TB patients. The new scheme will cost about Rs 100 crore [US$18.3 million] more.

"We are in talks with manufacturers of the medicines and hospital groups to finalise the modality for reimbursement," Prasad said.

India reports 15 lakh [1.5 million] new cases of TB every year. About one in six deaths among adults aged 15-49 are caused by TB. Nearly 10,000 cases of multi-drug resistant are estimated to occur annually.